Summary - Anthropology (ANTH101)

The basis of the argument is that agriculture was oversold in terms of success; it did not result in the ascend and brilliance of civilization that it promised. Rather, Diamond and supporters argue that the transition from a hunter-gather society to one of agricultural farming was the start of a disastrous development. Progressivists argue that the introduction of agriculture resulted in a decrease in human health, worse diets, new diseases, and unsustainable practices eventually leading to climate change and a sixth mass extinction. This is in opposition to the traditional view, which argues agriculture is the invention making possible productivity, urban life, the state, specializations in crafts, etc, essentially the point where humans started controlling the environment and animals in it.